STRENGTHENING COLLAB. PhilHealth executives, led by its acting president and CEO, Dr. Edwin Mercado, speaks with officials and staff of St. Paul’s Hospital Iloilo on Tuesday (April 29, 2025). Mercado encouraged the hospital to consider offering the KonSulTa benefit package. (Photo courtesy of PhilHealth-6)

ILOILO CITY — Unemployed persons with disabilities (PWDs) listed in the Philippine Registry for Persons with Disabilities (PR-PWD) are automatically classified as non-paying members of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

PhilHealth 6 (Western Visayas) Field Operations Division Chief Junie Sabusap said on Wednesday that they have listed 15,365 PWDs registered with the PR-PWD.

However, this number likely falls short of the actual total.

“PWDs are categorized as indirect contributors and are not required to make PhilHealth contributions,” Sabusap explained.

He added that the agency is awaiting a policy to address contribution requirements for employed PWDs.

Ideally, PWDs with jobs in either the public or private sector should also be exempt from paying contributions.

Currently, employed PWDs pay their contributions, he said.

“We are waiting for a policy on how we are going to implement that. We will see what will be the provision of the policy once it is available,” he said.

PhilHealth-6 has more than 6.56 million total registered members and dependents, representing 80 percent of the 8.2 million projected population of the region.

Meanwhile, PhilHealth acting president and CEO, Dr. Edwin Mercado, visited St. Paul’s Hospital Iloilo (SPHI) and the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) on Tuesday.

Both hospitals are accredited providers of the Z Benefit Package, which covers treatment for costly and catastrophic illnesses.

“PhilHealth officials discuss the current participation of the hospitals in key benefit programs of PhilHealth, including the Z benefit package, which provides coverage for high-cost and catastrophic illnesses,” the PhilHealth statement said.

During the visit, Mercado encouraged the SPHI to consider offering services under the Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama (KonSulTa) benefit package.

The SPHI, which already offers Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) First and kidney transplant services, has served 1,268 patients under the PD First program since 2023, with more than P13 million in claims paid.

The WVMC, meanwhile, has received more than P40 million in claims since 2023 for Z Benefit-covered conditions.

Mercado also led the PhilHealth team at the “Lab-for-All” caravan in New Lucena, Iloilo where they assisted residents with membership registration and record updates.